Pakis­tan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu held a series of high-level meetings with senior military and political leadership of the United States in a landmark visit to the country, it emerged on Wednesday.

Last month, Field Marshal Asim Munir became the first serving chief of army staff to have a face-to-face meeting with a sitting US president when he met Donald Trump for talks at the White House. The occasion also marked the first time a serving Pakistani army chief had been formally received at this level, without holding political office or governing under martial law. The two had discussed joint counter-terrorism efforts and expanding bilateral trade during their “cordial” meeting in Washington.

Today, PAF’s Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) said that in a “significant development” aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and advancing mutual interests, the air chief undertook an official visit to the US, adding that it was the “first by a serving PAF air chief in over a decade”.

It said the high-profile visit marked a “strategic milestone” in Pakistan-US defence cooperation and “proved instrumental in deepening institutional ties” in addition to addressing key regional and global security issues.

The DGPR said that at the Pentagon, the air chief called on US Air Force (International Affairs) Secretary Kelli L Seybolt and Chief of Staff of the US Air Force General David W Allvin.

“The discussions centred around advancing bilateral military cooperation, enhancing interoperability and exploring avenues of joint training and technology exchange. Chief of the air staff highlighted the historic and multifaceted relationship between Pakistan and US, particularly in the domains of defence and security cooperation.

“He reiterated his resolve to further enhance the existing ties in the realms of military-to-military cooperation and training between the air forces of the two countries. The two sides also agreed upon the continuation of high-level military engagements in future through senior-level interactions,” the DGPR said.

It said these interactions were deemed crucial for maintaining momentum in ongoing cooperative endeavours in the areas of joint training, operational exercises and military exchange programmes between the two nations.

At the US State Department, the air chief met Brown L Stanley from the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs and Eric Meyer from the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs. The DGPR said the meetings served as a forum to “underscore Pakistan’s constructive role in promoting regional stability, its firm commitment to counter-terrorism efforts and its nuanced perspective on the evolving geopolitical dynamics of South and Central Asia”.

As part of his engagements at Capitol Hill, the air chief held “substantive dialogues with prominent members” of the US Congress, including Mike Turner, Rich McCormick and Bill Huizenga.

“These interactions reinforced the importance of robust engagement in strengthening bilateral relations and provided a valuable opportunity to share Pakistan’s views on strategic challenges, regional security frameworks and the impact of emerging technologies on defence cooperation.

“Emphasising Pakistan’s status as a peace-loving nation, the air chief reaffirmed the country’s enduring sacrifices and notable operational achievements in the global war on terror, while also outlining Pakistan’s evolving security calculus in response to the rapidly shifting regional geopolitical landscape.”

The DGPR said the “landmark visit” not only reaffirmed PAF’s commitment to promoting regional and global peace, but also laid the groundwork for renewed institutional collaboration, strategic dialogue and enhanced interoperability between it and the US Air Force.